E. Asia, Latin America edge toward closer ties
E. Asia, Latin America edge toward closer ties
SINGAPORE (AFP): Countries from East Asia and Latin America
edged closer towards establishing better ties after talks ended
on Friday with both sides agreeing on cultural and economic
exchanges.
At the end of the three-day meeting, senior officials from the
27 states also agreed to hold a foreign ministers' meeting in
2001.
"Many countries had very interesting suggestions in the areas
of cooperation and projects that will give concrete substance to
this forum," Bilahari Kausikan, head of Singapore's delegation
told reporters.
The officials "have agreed to work towards a foreign
ministers' meeting in Santiago, Chile, in the first quarter of
2001," he added, and to hold another senior officials' meeting
next year.
The talks were held here one year after Singapore's Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong launched the idea for the "East Asia-Latin
America Forum" in Chile aimed at acting as a bridge between the
regions separated by the Pacific Ocean.
Goh then said the two regions needed to more about each other,
not just in the field of economics but also in culture, the arts
and the environment.
During the meeting, several countries made proposals to
exchange of views on the World Trade Organization (WTO) issues,
form a data bank on the Forum's members, and establish business
development councils.
There were also proposals to exchange academics, journalists
and diplomats between the two regions.
"A few countries stated they would be proposing projects in
the course of the coming months," Kausikan said, adding that
Singapore had put three projects on the table such as an economic
study to be coordinated by the Institute of Southeast Asian
Studies in Singapore and a travel trade fair.
The economic study would focus on finding out what the
obstacles are for improving trade between the two regions.
In 1997, only 2.6 percent of Asia's exports went to Latin
America, and 4.3 percent of Latin American exports went to Asia,
and if Japan were excluded, this figure would fall to one
percent.
In the last two decades, the relative participation of Latin
American exports in the Asian market increased by a minuscule 0.5
percent.
Singapore also proposed having Latin American states take part
in a travel fair, already scheduled to be held here next year, to
help them sell their countries as tourist destinations.
"I think this is important because it is a multi-dimensional
project in a way. There is an obvious economic dimension because
there will be business spinoffs, but there is also a cultural
dimension," Kausikan said.
"And equally important there will be an exchange of people to
people," he added.
The countries attending the meeting from Asia are Australia,
Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea,
Thailand and Vietnam.
From Latin America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and
Venezuela, will be represented.